Christmas Daze
by rhymenocerous
Summary: It's Christmas Eve and the Messers are frantically preparing for some very special guests! Rated T for now due to some language but knowing me that could easily change ;P
1. Deck the Halls

**A/N: So I have a confession… I've actually been sitting on this one since _last_ Christmas. I started it, wanting to get as much of it written as possible before I began posting. But life got crazy and I never got around to finishing it. :( I thought about posting it later in the year but figured it would be more fun to wait until Christmas rolled around again!**

**I was going to wait until December 1 to start posting this story, but I can't wait anymore. And the way I figure, if they're starting to air Christmas movies on TV already, then I can post a Christmas story. Right? Right. *nods emphatically* Plus, a reliable source tells me you've all been very good this year! ;P**

**This story is kind of set in the _High School Daze_ universe (which I hope is obvious from the title), although it is obviously not following the same timeline. Basically, I started writing this shortly after I had Lindsay and Danny return home from Montana. So as far as this story goes, everything after that in High School Daze never happened. Keep that in mind while reading. It might come in handy ;)**

**So take a break from decorating your tree, grab a glass of eggnog and enjoy!**

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><p>Danny let himself into the apartment, closing the front door behind him and dropping his keys in the bowl on the table in the entranceway. He breathed deeply as he kicked off his shoes, taking in the delicious scent of the holiday feast Lindsay had been busy preparing all day. Hanging up his jacket, he looked around the apartment, smiling at the festive sight before him. Not only was their place spotless – he and Lindsay having spent the better part of the night before cleaning like maniacs – but she'd also lovingly decorated their home with subtle hints of Christmas. A small snow globe sat on each of the tables bookending the couch, boughs of evergreen were carefully arranged along the mantle piece with twinkling lights nestled within, flickering softly. But the crowning glory was the tree, covered in fairy lights, with red, green and gold ornaments sprinkled throughout and a delicate gold angel perched on the top.<p>

He could hear Lindsay banging around in the kitchen, muttering to herself as she worked. Moving through the apartment, he leaned against the door frame separating the kitchen from the living room and smiled at his wife, her back to him as she checked the progress of whatever it was she had baking in the oven.

"Wow, baby. Something smells really good," he said, walking up behind her and placing a soft kiss to her shoulder while wrapping his arms around her waist.

She sighed and leaned back against him. "Thanks. I didn't hear you come in."

"I was trying to be quiet. Didn't want to wake Luce." Close up, he realized she looked slightly frazzled, her face flushed and her hair disarranged, as if she'd been running her fingers through it all day. He tightened his arms around her, tenderly kissing her cheek. "You okay?"

"Just a little tired."

"You've been working hard, Linds. Why don't you take a break? I can look after things in here for you while you take a load off for a few minutes."

"Oh, no. I'm fine," she said, reaching up to brush a stray strand of hair from her face. "Everything's almost ready."

"All the more reason to take it easy, sweetheart," he pressed. "Come on. You've been slaving away all afternoon. Let me look after you for a bit, okay?"

"Danny, you just got home from work… you must be exhausted," she sighed. "I'm really fine. It's just… I want everything to be perfect, you know? This is a really big deal for me. And for us."

"I know it is, babe," he said, nuzzling into her shoulder, smiling when she tilted her head to expose more of her slender neck for him. "But you don't have to do it all by yourself."

"I know, but…"

"No buts, Lindsay Messer," he said, a hint of sternness in his voice. "Go sit down for five minutes, will you? I'll bring you a drink." She turned her head and looked up at him, a trace of defiance in her eyes. "That's an order, Missy. Now go." He patted her backside while pushing her in the direction of the living room.

"Fine. But only five minutes," she capitulated, glaring at him. She flopped down onto the couch and propped her feet up on the coffee table, resting her head on the back of the couch.

"That's all I ask, baby. Now, what do you want to drink?" He grabbed a glass from the cupboard, waiting for her answer. "Babe? Linds?" Walking out into the living room, he smiled, looking down at his wife. She had dozed off the moment she'd let herself relax and was already sound asleep. He grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch, draping it over her prone form and gently stroking her hair before he returned to the kitchen to keep his eye on things while she took a much needed break.

Lindsay was right. This Christmas was a big deal for them. Last year they had spent Christmas alone, just the three of them. Lucy had been only a few months old, and Danny had only recently gotten out of his wheelchair. They had received an invitation to join the Monroe clan for Christmas in Montana, but Lindsay had turned it down, much to Danny's chagrin. He had felt bad, depriving her of the chance to show Lucy off to her side of the family. But after taking so much time on medical leave, he hadn't been able to get the necessary time off. He'd encouraged Lindsay to go on her own, but she had insisted on staying with him, not wanting him to spend Christmas alone. They had similarly turned down an invitation from Danny's parents, knowing that with a new baby, the loud and raucous celebrations that would take place at the Messer's over on Staten Island would be a little overwhelming. So they'd stayed home. And it had been wonderful. There had been no stress, no expectations. It had been simple and intimate and perfect.

But this year was different. It was Christmas Eve and Lindsay's parents were flying out from Montana to spend the holidays with them, and his own parents had been issued an invitation as well. Not only was it the first time he and Lindsay would be hosting guests for Christmas, but it was also the very first time that their parents would meet, something that had he and Lindsay feeling both excited and slightly nervous. They had been married for nearly two years now, and he felt like somehow they had done everything wrong – weren't the parents supposed to meet one another _before_ the wedding? He shrugged off that thought - it was in the past and there was nothing they could do about it now. All they could do was make sure everything was perfect and hope for the best.

He sneaked a glance at Lindsay; she had shifted positions and was now curled up in a tight ball on the couch. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. She had been anxious for weeks, fretting about this meal. She wanted to make things that were traditions in her own family, but she didn't want to make her in-laws feel left out. She had begun to plan a menu that would have easily fed twenty people, and he gently reminded her that there were only going to be six of them, plus Lucy. Staring back at him, her lip had begun to quiver and she promptly burst into tears.

He had soothed her, whispering supportive words in her ear, and rubbing her back as she sobbed into his chest. There had been several of these meltdowns over the past few weeks, and he had put it down to the stress Lindsay was putting upon herself to please everyone. Finally, he had been able to reason with her and they had agreed to make food that they liked, never mind what their parents expected of them.

He had been trying his best to help her, not wanting her to get overwhelmed by the pressure of the holidays. He offered to cook the things that could be made in advance, or take care of the side dishes – anything to make things easier. But she was so stubborn, for the most part refusing to let him lend a hand and as a result, she was running herself ragged. She had been unnaturally moody with him over the past few weeks, and he was secretly glad that the Christmas Eve had finally arrived. Hopefully, once it was all over, he would get his wife back.

"Danny?" her sleepy voice from the living room roused him from his thoughts. He took one last look at the food in the oven before pouring a glass of water and taking it with him into the other room, handing it to Lindsay and sitting down at one end of the couch. He smiled as she downed the water thirstily, then wiggled down to where he was sitting and curled up with her head on his lap. "Thank you, honey. I needed that."

"It's what I'm here for sweetheart," he said, his fingers winding their way into her hair, massaging her scalp. "Feeling better?"

"Mmm hmm," she sighed. "Much."

"You know you're not in this by yourself, right?" he asked. "I wanna help, babe. There's no reason for you to get so worked up. Besides, it's just our families. They love us… well, they like me. They fucking love you."

She giggled and smacked his leg. "Don't say that. You know they love you."

"Yeah, well I come in third after you and Luce," he chuckled before he turned more serious once again. "You know they're going to love whatever it is you make for them, Lindsay. Please, just relax. I don't want you to wake up on Boxing Day only to realize that you missed Christmas because you were worried about whether the roast was too dry, or…"

"You think the roast is too dry?" Lindsay asked with a hint of panic in her voice, sitting up like a shot and staring at him with wide eyes.

"What? No! That's not… I didn't mean…" he trailed off with a sigh and closed his eyes. He heard a soft giggle and cracked an eye open to see Lindsay staring at him with an impish grin on her face.

"Gotcha," she said, scootching over and settling herself across his lap, her arms winding around his neck. "You are just too easy sometimes, you know that?"

"Not funny, Montana," he chastised.

She reached up and cupped his face in her hands, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "I love you so much, Danny," she whispered. "I know I haven't exactly been a walk in the park recently, and I just want to thank you for at least trying to keep me sane through all of this."

"Anytime, Linds," he replied, pulling her closer, his lips seeking hers for another, deeper kiss. She sighed, angling her head and allowing him access to her mouth, their tongues tangling together. She moaned with frustration when the sound of their daughter waking from her nap interrupted their moment and she pulled back, resting her forehead against his.

"I guess playtime is over," she said.

"Mmm… for now," he murmured, running his hands up and down her back. "But I'll take a rain-check for later."

She smiled at him, kissing the tip of his nose before getting to her feet and rearranging her clothing, crumpled from her nap. "I'll go check on dinner. Can you get Lucy?"

"You got it," he said, accepting her offered hand to help pull him up from the couch. "And then I want you to go and get yourself ready, okay? I can look after things out here for a bit if you want a shower or something."

"That sounds perfect," she replied, smiling at him before disappearing into the kitchen.

Hearing Lucy's cries becoming more urgent, Danny began to make his way down the hall toward her bedroom. "It's okay, Luce. Daddy's coming."

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><p><strong>So there we be. Chapter One. I've got four or five chapters planned for this story (but we all know what happened to High School Daze, don't we? Yeah. Had 12 chapters planned for that one and we're working on Chapter 51 right now!).<strong>

**I would love to know if you guys are interested in where this is going. I mentioned to a few folks that I was working on bringing the Messers and Monroes together for Christmas this year and while the chapters have been planned out, nothing is set in stone. If there's something you're dying to see happen when the two sides meet, I'm open to suggestions!**

**Ho! Ho! Ho!**

***rhymes***


	2. It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Xmas

**A/N: Well who knew there were so many of you out there ready to get the Christmas holidays going a little early? :D **

**Thanks to all you lovelies who left a review for the first chapter. You have no idea how good it felt to finally publish that sucker. As I've said, I've been sitting on it for over a year and I've been dying to share it for-freaking-ever! Merci beaucoup to _mckenzie, RandomTVFan30, CTI-Jenn, webdlfan, anonymous, Daisy1966, afrozenheart412, ioanhoratio_, and _Alex Joleta_.**

**Rest assured – for those of you who have asked (with varying degrees of impatience!) – that I am still working on updates for Something Wicked and High School Daze. It's just that seeing as I already have this chapter lying around, I figured I'd share it with you ;)**

**We've got arriving in-laws and of course it wouldn't be a Messer Family story without little Lucy running around!**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Lindsay fluffed her hair, smiling at her reflection in the mirror. The nap had done her good, as had the shower Danny had insisted she take. The hot water had felt invigorating, and after blow-drying her hair and applying her makeup, she looked and felt more like herself.<p>

"Babe? You almost done? They'll be here soon!"

"I'll be right out!" she called back, glancing at her watch. Her parents had landed in New York about an hour ago, calling from the airport to let them know their plane had arrived on time. When they had booked their flight, Danny had offered to go pick them up, but Dana Monroe had been insistent – this was their first trip to New York and they wanted to have what she referred to as the 'real' New York experience, which apparently meant shelling out a small fortune to take a cab all the way from the airport to their apartment.

Likewise, Danny's mother had called just before Lindsay got in the shower. They were leaving their house and were hoping to arrive around six o'clock, right around the same time as her parents.

Butterflies fluttered nervously in her stomach at the impending meeting. What if they didn't get along? She knew it was ridiculous – both she and Danny had made a point of familiarizing their parents with one another; telling stories, sharing photos. But nothing compared to actually meeting in person.

Slipping down the hall to the bedroom, Lindsay quickly changed into the outfit she had selected earlier that afternoon. She wanted to look good, but she didn't want to be overly formal. So she'd chosen a simple black skirt with a fitted red sweater. It was festive without being overwhelmingly so, and she thought it was actually kind of sexy in a subtle kind of way, which she knew Danny would love. Taking one last look in the full length mirror, she nodded her satisfaction at her appearance.

Emerging from the bedroom, a wide smile spread across her face as she watched Danny setting the table, chatting with Lucy who sat in her high chair, overseeing his progress.

"What do you think, Luce?" he asked, holding out two different coloured candles for her to choose from for the small centrepiece Lindsay had picked up the day before. "This one -" he held out a red candle followed by a similar candle in green, "- or this one?"

"Wed!" Lucy shouted, pointing excitedly to the red candle.

Danny smiled, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before inserting the candle into the centrepiece. "Alright, baby. Red it is. Good choice, Luce."

"I hewp, Daddy," she chirped, clapping her hands.

"You sure did, kiddo."

"Yay, Yoo-see!"

"Hey, guys. Looks good," Lindsay said, crossing the living room and making her presence known.

Lucy turned and grinned at her mother, pointing to the table. "Mama! See? See? Yoo-see hewp!" she giggled. "Pwetty!"

"It looks beautiful, Lucy. Good job!" Lindsay praised her daughter, gently ruffling the little girl's curls. She looked up to see Danny gazing appreciatively at her, his eyes slowly moving down her body, and she felt her cheeks flushing with colour.

"Wow," he said, finally finding his voice. "Wow… you look so beautiful, Linds. I mean it. Really, really gorgeous."

"Thank you," she replied, smiling shyly back at him.

He rounded the table, taking her in his arms and pressing a delicate kiss to her lips. "You're welcome. Merry Christmas, baby."

"Merry Christmas, Danny."

"T'wis-mass!" Lucy shouted, and her parents turned to smile at her.

"Merry Christmas to you too, squirt," Danny said, taking her from her high chair and blowing a raspberry on her cheek.

"Daddy!" she squealed with delight, squirming in his arms.

Danny grinned at her, moving in as if to bestow another raspberry when he heard a knock at the door.

"Can you get that, honey?" Lindsay asked from the kitchen.

"Who's that, Luce?" he asked, jiggling his daughter in his arms. "Who's at the door?"

"Dat?" she asked, her eyes wide with excitement. "Dat, Daddy?"

"I don't know, Luce. Should we open it and find out?"

"Yah!"

Danny peered through the peephole then pulled open the door, smiling at the older couple standing out in the hall.

"Hey! Look who it is, Lucy!"

"Dat?" Lucy asked, burying her face shyly in Danny's neck, her little fingers gripping fistfuls of his shirt.

"It's Grandma and Grandpa," Danny whispered to her, gently stroking her back. "You remember when we went to visit them? Hey? Do you remember when we played with the horseys?"

"Haw-see?" Lucy said, her voice pitifully small as she slowly raised her head and stole a cautious peek at her grandparents.

"Hey there, little lady," John Monroe said, smiling and wiggling his fingers at his granddaughter. "You remember your old Grandpa, don't you?"

"G'ampa?" Lucy whispered, and John smiled encouragingly at her.

"That's right, Lucy. And who's this?" Danny asked, pointing to his mother-in-law. Dana smiled and gently stroked Lucy's cheek. "Is that your Grandma?"

"G'amma?"

"That's right, baby," Danny praised her, stepping back to let the Monroes into the apartment. "Can you say hello?" He loosened one little hand from his shirt, waving her arm. "Hi, Grandma. Hi, Grandpa."

Lucy stared at the pair of strangers for a moment, looking back and forth between the two of them. Finally she turned to Danny, pointing a chubby finger at her grandparents. "Tana?"

"That's right, Luce! Good girl," Danny said, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "You saw Grandma and Grandpa in Montana!"

"Tana!" Lucy giggled, clapping her hands in glee. "Hi G'amma!" she said, waving at John and Dana, "Hi G'ampa!"

Danny handed Lucy over to her grandparents, who fussed and cooed over her while he grabbed their bags from out in the hall and closed the front door behind them.

"Oh, Lucy! You're getting to be such a big girl!" Dana said. She handed Lucy over to John and pulled Danny into a tight hug.

"Hi, Mom," he said, blushing slightly when she kissed his cheek. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Danny," she replied. "How are you?"

"I'm good, thanks," he said. "How was your flight?"

"Ugh," John grunted, handing Lucy back to Dana while he shrugged out of his coat, holding it out for Danny to put away. "I hate flying. Overrated way to travel if you ask me."

"I'm right with you on that one, sir… uh… Dad… um…" Danny stuttered, not sure if John's offer so many months ago to call him Dad was still on the table.

John grinned at him, clapping him on the shoulder. "Now I remember why I like you, son. You're a funny guy." Danny laughed nervously, while John and Dana moved further into the apartment, leaving him standing in the entrance way holding their coats. "Now, where's my little girl?" John asked loudly.

"Hi, Daddy!" Lindsay said, emerging from the kitchen and rushing into her father's open arms.

"Hi, Pumpkin," he said. "How's my favourite daughter?"

"I'm fine, Daddy," Lindsay replied, smiling up at him before turning to her mother and letting herself sink into the comforting embrace of Dana Monroe. "Hi, Mom."

"Oh, honey!" Dana gushed, "You look lovely! Doesn't she look lovely, John?" John smiled in response, taking Lucy from Dana and plopping himself down on the couch, bouncing the little girl on his knee. "Oh, we've missed you so much, Lindsay!"

"I miss you too, Mom," Lindsay said, tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm so glad you guys decided to come see us."

"Wild reindeer couldn't have stopped us," Dana said, giving Lindsay a watery smile as she wiped at her eyes. "Now, are we just going to stand here, or are you going to show me around your home?"

"Danny, can you watch the stuff in the kitchen?" Lindsay asked, "I'm just going to show Mom and Dad around."

"No problem, babe," he replied, giving her a wink before he moved to take his post in front of the stove.

"Thanks, honey," Lindsay said. "Dad, are you coming?"

Lindsay gave her parents a tour of the apartment, showing off the view of the city from their living room window, the kitchen and dining room, then down the hallway to the bedrooms.

"This is Lucy's room," she said, opening the door to reveal the nursery. "We moved her crib into our room for now so you two will have some privacy," she explained, gesturing to the bed they'd borrowed from Mac's spare room for the occasion. "It's not much, but I hope you guys will be comfortable."

"It's lovely, sweetie. Thank you," Dana said. "Are you sure it wouldn't be easier if we stayed in a hotel? We don't want to intrude."

"Oh, no," Lindsay assured her. "No, we're happy to have you. And Lucy doesn't mind, does she?" Lucy grinned at her in response. "No, it's fine. For her, it's kind of a special treat to get to sleep in our room."

"But won't the two of you… I mean, you can't really… not with Lucy in the room…"

"Dana!" John interrupted, giving her a withering glare. "Please… don't start that again."

"Oh, John. Stop being such a prude. How do you think we got little Lucy here?" she huffed at him. "Did you think she just appeared out of thin air? They had sex. Now deal with it."

"Secks," Lucy said matter-of-factly, nodding her head at her grandfather. He stared back at her, a horrified expression on his face.

"Now look what you've done," he muttered as Dana erupted in laughter, taking Lucy from his arms and tickling her gently under her chin.

"Oh, my God," Lindsay sighed to herself. Out loud, she tried to continue the tour. "Okay, so moving on… the bathroom is there," she pointed at the door at the end of the hall, "And this is our bedroom here." She stopped in front of a closed door, not at all sure that she wanted to open it, especially after the recent topic of conversation. But her mother would have none of it, reaching past her and pushing open the door.

"Oh, Lindsay, what a beautiful room!" Dana enthused. "Hmm. The closet is kind of small," she mused, "But, oh my! What a nice big bed! And that mirror…" She eyed the large mirror hanging from the wall across from the bed and winked at Lindsay, who blushed furiously, knowing that her mother understood full well what that mirror was for. "Very nice, don't you think, John?"

John stood out in the hallway, peering briefly around the door frame before nodding his head and giving a grunt of approval. Then he turned and disappeared into the living room, muttering something about needing a drink.

"Oh, don't mind him," Dana said, smiling as she sat on the edge of the bed, "He's just grumpy because he doesn't like the idea of his little girl growing up, that's all. He'll come around."

"Yeah, well, it would probably help if you didn't bring up the topic of s-e-x again, especially around Lucy."

Dana grinned at her then rubbed her nose against Lucy's. "It's not my fault that she's such a clever girl," she said. "You're a clever girl, aren't you, Lucy?"

"Yup," Lucy replied.

Lindsay rolled her eyes at her mother. "Okay, so that's the bedroom. Now, can we please go back to the living room?" she asked. "And can you please behave yourself, Mom?"

"I'll try my best. But I'm not making any promises," Dana sing-songed as she waltzed past Lindsay out the bedroom door.

Lindsay sighed, closing the door as she stepped out into the hall. She loved her mother, she really did. But sometimes…

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><p><strong>God, I've missed Dana Monroe! Kind of forgot how much fun she was to write ;) <strong>

**I hope you've enjoyed seeing the Monroes again after a lengthy absence. Next up? The Messers!**


	3. Have A Holly, Jolly Christmas

**A/N: Sorry about the delay with getting this chapter posted. I had the majority of it written but just couldn't find the time to work on the end. But this weekend I was finally able to sit down and get some work done. Hopefully you won't have quite as long a wait for the next chapter, but I can't make any promises. :( I'll just say that this story will be finished before Christmas actually rolls around. How's that sound? **

**Huge thanks to _lulubell79, Julia, afrozenheart412, Alex Joleta, RandomTVFan30, webdlfan, Daisy1966, MesserFamilyFan100, the mirror, Elja_, and _Mel1592_ for leaving reviews for the last chapter. You guys are so awesome!**

**I realize you guys didn't come here just to read my author's notes (or maybe you did. Who am I to judge?), so I'll shut up now and let you get on with the story!**

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><p>Danny was standing at the stove when he felt a tug on his pant-leg. Glancing down, he grinned at his daughter who was bouncing and wiggling her fingers in the air.<p>

"Daddy! Daddy, up! Up!"

"Hey there, squirt," Danny said, bending to scoop her up into his arms. "Did you come to help Daddy?"

"Hungwee," she replied, pointing to the food that was slowly making its way from the stovetop to the platters laid out on the counter.

"I know you're hungry, Sweetpea," he said. "We just have to wait for Nona and Papa, and then we can eat, okay?"

"Hungwee!" she bellowed, leaning over and stretching out her hand toward a pot of hot gravy.

"Whoa, careful Luce," Danny said, holding her tighter and taking a step back from the danger zone. "You can't touch that, sweetie. It's hot. Daddy doesn't want you to get hurt."

Lucy huffed, plunking her forehead down on his shoulder despondently. "Hungwee," she mumbled into his shirt.

Danny glanced around the kitchen, looking for something small to placate her until his parents arrived. "Babe?" he called out, pulling a Mini Babybel from the fridge. "Linds? You heard from my folks yet?" Balancing Lucy in one arm, he pulled the little tab, tearing the wax coating from the cheese and handing it to Lucy.

"Not yet. Why?" she replied from the living room where she was sitting talking with her parents.

"We got a hungry, grumpy Messer on our hands," he chuckled, "And for once it isn't me."

She smiled at him as she joined them in the kitchen. "They'll be here soon, and then we can…" Her smile slipped from her face and a frown took its place at the sight of Lucy munching happily away on her snack. "Danny!" she snapped "What are you doing? Now she's not going to want to eat her dinner!"

"What? It's just a piece of cheese," he said, jiggling Lucy in his arms. "You'll still be hungry, won't you Luce?"

"Mo-awr p'ease!" she demanded, stuffing the last of the cheese into her mouth. "Hungwee."

"See? She's fine."

"Hmm," Lindsay said, narrowing her eyes at father and daughter. "Well, she definitely knows which side her bread is buttered on." She smiled at Lucy, taking her from Danny's arms and kissing her cheek. "Mommy wouldn't have given her any cheese."

"And that's exactly why Daddy is her favourite," Danny quipped over his shoulder, turning his attention back to stirring the gravy.

"Well, we'll just have to see if you're still her favourite when she wants to start dating."

"Hey! You promised you weren't going to joke about that anymore," Danny grumbled.

Lindsay laughed and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Sorry, babe," she replied. "I forgot." She winked at him before going back out into the living room to rejoin her parents. A few minutes later, a knock at the door signalled the arrival of their long-awaited guests.

Lindsay smiled at her in-laws, stepping back and ushering them into the apartment. "Hi Mom. Merry Christmas," she said, accepting Maria Messer's warm embrace. "Merry Christmas, Dad."

"_Buon Natale_, Lindsay!" Maria said in greeting. "Oh, it smells so good in here!"

"Thank you," Lindsay replied, blushing. "Dinner is almost ready, so come on in and make yourselves at home."

"Are your folks here yet?" Joe Messer asked. "Are we late? We got stuck in traffic."

"Well, we wouldn't have if you'd just followed my directions, Joe," Maria scolded. "Honestly. You and your shortcuts," she muttered before turning to Lindsay. "It's a wonder we got here at all. I hope you don't have the same problem with Daniel."

"No. Danny's pretty good at…"

"Because if he's anything like his father…" Maria trailed off, narrowing her eyes in her husband's direction before she beamed at Lindsay. "But never mind that. We're here and that's what's important. Now, I know you said not to bring anything, but I couldn't help myself. I never like to show up empty handed, so… here." She reached into one of the enormous gift bags they'd brought with them, pulling out a large Tupperware container filled with her delicious homemade Christmas cookies. "If we don't eat them tonight then you can put them in the freezer. But if I know my son, they'll all be gone by tomorrow morning."

"Thanks Mom," Lindsay said. "That's really very sweet of you."

"Bah. It was nothing. No trouble at all _cara mia_," Maria replied, reaching out to pat Lindsay's cheek affectionately. "Now, speaking of my son… Daniel!"

"Just a sec!" Danny bellowed from the kitchen, hurrying to turn down the heat on the stove before heading out into the living room.

"_Buon Natale_, Ma," he said, kissing his mother's cheek. "Merry Christmas, Pop. Can I take your coats?"

Once shoes and coats had been tucked away in the hall closet, Lindsay led the way into the living room where Dana and John were seated on the couch playing with Lucy while eyeing the new arrivals. "Ma, Pop," Danny began, "These are Lindsay's parents, John and Dana Monroe."

"Mom, Dad," Lindsay continued, "These are Danny's parents, Joe and Maria Messer."

Stepping aside, Danny and Lindsay both held their breaths, waiting for something to happen. They weren't exactly sure what they were expecting, but they each breathed a sigh of relief when both sets of parents smiled at one another, John and Dana rising to their feet while Joe and Maria stepped forward to shake their hands.

Dana and Maria exchanged hugs, John and Joe a hearty handshake. Then Maria turned to Joe, giving him an appraising once-over while she shook his hand. "You don't look that scary," she said. "Hearing Daniel talk about you, I would have thought you were ten feet tall with fangs and claws. But you look harmless enough."

John let out a bark of delighted laughter, casting a glance at Danny who suddenly wished that the floor would open up and swallow him whole. He felt Lindsay shuddering with laughter beside him and he nudged her with his elbow. "It's not funny!" he hissed.

Wiping tears of mirth from her eyes, Lindsay grinned at him. "Come on, babe. It is kind of funny," she replied, earning a huff of annoyance from her husband.

"Well, in Danny's defence, John was a bit of a bear toward him when they first arrived in Bozeman," Dana said. "But he smartened up when he saw how happy he makes our Lindsay. You two raised a very well-mannered and respectful young man. You should be proud."

Joe appeared somewhat flustered by the compliment, while Maria beamed with pride. "We just did our best," she said. "But we can't take all the credit. He's a new man since he met Lindsay. We're so glad they found each other. We just love her to pieces! Such a lovely girl."

"And they make such beautiful grandbabies!" Dana continued, jiggling Lucy in her arms. "Aren't you just the most beautiful little girl? Yes you are!" She smiled at Maria. "I've been after Lindsay to have another one. It'd be such a shame to waste those good genes."

"I know," Maria agreed with a sigh. "But every time I bring it up with Daniel he just rolls his eyes at me and tells me to mind my own business."

"Ma, please! Don't start that again," Danny moaned. "Can't you guys talk about something else?"

"Oh, let us have our fun, Daniel," Maria replied, patting her son's cheek consolingly. "What's the harm in us doing a little wishful thinking?"

Danny was saved from having to come up with a retort to his mother's comment when Lindsay took him by the arm and pulled him into the kitchen.

"I need some help getting dinner on the table," she explained. "And besides, I want them to get to know one another, so let them talk on their own for a while."

"But that's the problem," Danny grumbled. "They're not talking. They're plotting. I thought it was bad enough having my mom on our case, but your mom is just as baby-crazy as she is."

"Is that such a bad thing?" Lindsay asked, her back to him as she began transferring the contents in the pots and pans on the stovetop to dishes and platters for the table.

"Well… no," Danny admitted. "But I'd like the decision to have another baby to be ours, you know? I don't want to do it just to appease our parents. Wouldn't you rather wait until the time is right for us before we start trying?"

Lindsay shrugged her shoulders. "The time wasn't necessarily right for us when we found out about Lucy, but that seemed to work out alright," she said evenly.

"Well yeah, but we also didn't have everybody breathing down our necks at the time either," Danny countered. "Don't get me wrong, Linds. I would love to have another baby. I just don't like all the pressure."

Lindsay grinned slyly at him over her shoulder. "You worried about performance anxiety, babe?" she teased, earning a pair of raised eyebrows from Danny.

"Me? Performance anxiety?" he queried, setting down the corkscrew he'd just retrieved from the drawer. With a few quick steps he closed the distance between himself and his wife, wrapping his arms around her waist and whispering intimately in her ear. "I've never had any problems in that department when it comes to you, my beautiful and oh-so-sexy wife."

Lindsay closed her eyes and sighed as Danny's lips found all the little spots on her neck that drove her absolutely wild. "Mmm… baby stop," she panted as he nipped at her earlobe. "Come on, everyone's waiting for dinner. Behave yourself."

"Make me," Danny challenged.

"Danny!" Lindsay giggled, swatting at him with a convenient tea towel. "You'd better be good, or you won't get your presents from Santa."

"If I'm really good can I have a present tonight?" Danny asked.

"Maybe."

"Can that present be you in nothing but a big, red bow?"

Lindsay laughed. "Not tonight, babe. Don't forget that Lucy's sleeping with us for the next few nights and my parents are going to be in the next room."

"Dammit," Danny lamented, dropping his forehead down onto Lindsay's shoulder despondently. "Why'd you let me get myself all worked up? Now I've got this mental picture of you in my mind and it's gonna drive me crazy until… how long are your folks here for?"

"Four days."

"Oh my God," Danny groaned. "I'll never make it. Do I have time for a cold shower before dinner?"

"You do not," Lindsay said, turning to face Danny and wrapping her arms around his neck. "But how about this; maybe after Lucy's gone to bed you and I can take that shower together."

"You wanna take a cold shower with me?" Danny teased. "Kinda defeats the purpose, babe."

"I was thinking more of the hot and steamy variety," Lindsay replied, standing on her toes to press her lips against Danny's.

"Mmm… I like the way you think, Mrs. Messer," he murmured against her lips before he pulled back and smiled mischievously down at her. "Now, we're supposed to be getting dinner ready for our guests, so you've got to stop distracting me."

"Excuse me?" Lindsay raised an eyebrow, giving Danny a disbelieving look. "_I'm_ distracting _you_? I think you'll find it was the other way around. _You_ are the bad influence here, mister. Not me."

"Whatever you say, sweetheart," Danny replied with an impish grin. He leaned forward and pecked Lindsay lightly on the lips. "I love you, Linds."

"I love you too, Danny," she replied.

"Hungwee!" came a little voice from the living room, followed by a chorus of laughter from two sets of doting grandparents.

Danny and Lindsay shared a smile before they returned to their tasks in the kitchen. Finally, everything was set and all that was missing were the guests.

Lindsay stepped into the living room to announce that dinner was ready. She smiled at the sight before her; her mother and Maria were sitting side by side on the couch with Lucy wedged in between them as they went through one of the many photo albums that documented the little girl's life thus far. And on the far side of the room, her father and Joe Messer were bickering good-naturedly with one another as they watched the hockey game playing quietly on the television.

Feeling Danny's arm around her, she turned and smiled up at him. "It's nice to see them together like this," she mused.

"Yeah, it is," he agreed, pressing a kiss to her temple. "And they even seem to like each other, which is awesome. I don't know what you were so worried about."

She nudged him with her elbow, narrowing her eyes at him. "Excuse me? I wasn't the only one that was worried."

Danny chuckled, pulling her closer. "The important thing is that – so far – they seem to be getting along."

"Mmm," Lindsay sighed, nestling into Danny's side, her arms sliding around his waist. "It's nice, actually. Having them all here feels good. Like it's really Christmas."

"You know what else would make it feel like Christmas?" Danny asked. Lindsay glanced questioningly up at him. "Food. I'm starving, Linds. Can we eat already?"

Lindsay rolled her eyes. "You are such a mood-killer sometimes," she chided, but pressed a quick kiss to his smiling lips nonetheless. "Alright everybody! Dinner's ready!"

* * *

><p><strong>LOL. I couldn't resist throwing in some banter and a little innuendo. It wouldn't be Danny and Lindsay without it! I hope you had fun with this chapter and are eagerly awaiting what else I have in store for this story!<strong>

**Please feel free to leave a few words in a review if you feel so inclined. Also, just FYI, updates for_ High School Daze_ and _Something Wicked This Way Comes_ are in the works so keep your eyes peeled over the next few days!**

**Thanks for reading. Until next time!**

***rhymes***


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